First off, look at that sculpt. While the sculpt of her from Fantastic Forces was fine, it lacked one important thing- it didn’t have her wings, or any of her solid sound constructs represented! Well, we sure fixed that oversight with this one. And yes, those wings should be nice and semi-transparent, and will look really sharp when you pull them from a booster.

In the comics, Songbird has the power to create “solid sound constructs” that persist as long as she concentrates. She’s created a variety of offensive and defensive shapes, and she can use this effect to fly by creating wings, and can use high pitched sound to induce pain in others. Her biography is detailed on her card, but the Marvel Universe has changed a little since Hammer of Thor was designed, and I do want to add that things have started looking grim for her once the Dark Reign began.

Now, how does this updated version of her in Clix measure up? Songbird has two Special Powers. The first, Screaming Mimi, lets her use Running Shot and Force Blast. It's always great to see an 8 range, 2 target flyer start off with a move and attack power, and she has 3 clicks of it at 10 speed, virtually ensuring you'll be able to use her in the early turns to deal some damage to a variety of enemy targets. Force Blast is depicting her performing a "solid sound scream" that drives enemies away. While not as tactically useful as Running Shot, there are certainly times you'll want to move her out of Close Combat Range of your opponent's big beaters.

You'll want her out of Close Combat Range because she doesn't have any damage reduction powers - instead, she sensibly has Energy Shield/Deflection. Starting with a 16 defense, that'll give you a decent chance of avoiding ranged attacks, but by no means is Songbird able to absorb much punishment. Her six-click dial is fewer clicks than average for 83 points.

Where she makes up for it, though, is her other Special Power - Punch Through! This power allows her to use Barrier to both place blocking terrain and remove opponent's blocking terrain. The full text of the power is:
--
Punch Through! Songbird can use Barrier. Each time Songbird places a blocking terrain marker and before she places her next, remove all blocking terrain markers placed by other characters adjacent to the marker she just placed.

 
So this is the other means to defend herself besides the Energy Shield/Deflection. Many times you’ll just use her power as “normal” Barrier, and set up a wall to defend your characters and block line of fire. But for those times when you’re facing an opponent’s team relying on Barrier for defense, you’ll be amazed at how her 83 points allows you to demolish teams that normally would be very difficult to reach and damage.
And yes, because she removes blocking terrain markers from the board without destroying them, this effect happens even if there is a Structural Integrity Field in the vicinity. She Punches right Through all that nonsense!
Now, because of the way the power is worded, it may be difficult to create a “barrier wall” to block yourself in, while at the same time getting some hits in on their now unprotected guys. If you use it to make a hole in their “barrier wall”, it’s most likely either going to leave a 1 square gap in your defenses, or block your guys in so you’ll have to find another way around the barrier. Of course, if you pair her with a real brick, (especially one with Hypersonic Speed or Running Shot) he can move up and plug that hole after your attacks are done. She loves allies with Hypersonic Speed even more than most other characters do. (Which is a lot already!) Thankfully, there’s one or two of those in this set, and maybe a few more than that in the next HeroClix set… wait, did I say too much ?

#037 U Songbird
Team: Avengers
Range: 8
Points: 83

10 10 16 2

10 9 16 2

10 9 15 2

9 8 15 3

8 8 14 2

7 7 14 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

I haven’t even mentioned her trio of attack powers – she has Incapacitate, Pulse Wave, and Psychic Blast to round out the mix and give her lots of options for players to explore. And while her damage starts out at a moderate 2, she does have some Ranged Combat Expert late in the dial that can allow her to deal 5 damage to a target after it jumps to 3 for a click.

Among teams you may want to play her on, well let’s see… there’s three other Thunderbolts in Hammer of Thor, and their point values total…. 290 points! It’s like magic. So teaming her up with Venom, Penance, and Moonstone to form a version of Norman Osborn’s first Thunderbolts is a good place to start trying out her abilities on a theme team. That Thunderbolts team also had the Thunderbolts becoming celebrities, so she has that keyword as well, which allows her to be paired up with other “famous” Marvel characters like, uh… Howard the Duck, Ringmaster, and Dazzler! Masters of Evil also allows her to be used on villainous theme teams – she was part of the team that famously stormed Avengers Mansion, though she herself didn’t contribute much. Not to mention that there are 35+ other figures with the Thunderbolts keyword that can be used create a “best of” team from various eras.
Have fun clixin’ with this and the other fantastic figures in Hammer of Thor!

P.S. And one more nice thing - she has the Avengers team ability (she is going to be a future member after all), so you can use the insanely good Thunderbolts Alternate Team Ability Feat card and your opponent can’t even say that it’s not comic accurate!

At this moment I'll take anything I can get.

Just...WOW...I'm in love

I just nerded all over myself over that sculpt. I <3 WizKids NECA!

Awesome sculpt but what a waste of a dial - more force blast and barrier on a 80+ point fig that will never use it.

Seriously - if you are going to give force blast or barrier to a fig over 50 point either make it a free action for the figure, allow it to be combined with move/charge/running shot or just don't bother.

Freaking sweet! That special punch through power is even better at dealing with SiF than speedy from crisis. Plus she can actually do some offensive things. Sculpt kind of I dunno - RULES!

Put the repulsor feat on her and she can essentially do both and from range. Perplex her damage up a bit, and you have a seriously annoying and deadly piece.

Well like most people who don't know strategy you will overlook her usefulness. 10 range running shot, dual target 8 range incap, 10 attack, add in her team ability, and the great other special power and she is well worth her 83 points without force blast.

Dang! How do you get drool stains off of a keyboard?!?

Man, I just took a more critical look at the sculpt. I hope it doesn't suffer from Ultimates Wolverine syndrome... I still want at least one, though!

You didn't know that anything without a special power that let's them do every power at once is a waste of a dial?!?!?!?

Rep to you for making sense.

Thanks for the exclusive preview!